New priority boarding announcements at OSL
May 2, 2014, 3:13 am
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: BGO
Programs: EBG
Posts: 175
New priority boarding announcements at OSL
This week I noticed a new and automated boarding announcement. They actually announced something like: "Welcome to SKxxx. We ask all our passengers holding a SAS Gold or Diamond card or Star Alliance Gold card or travelling with us in SAS Plus to please step forward in the line."
That was it and the gate agent started boarding. Nothing more. What happened was something that I have never seen before at any Norwegian airport. People already lined up actually took a step back. This really seems to work. I assume and I hope this is something they will implement at all gates, everywhere so that Plus passengers finally can get a chance to secure their well-deserved overhead space.
The voice was pre-recorded and continued playing while the gate agent started boarding passengers.
Thumbs up SAS!
That was it and the gate agent started boarding. Nothing more. What happened was something that I have never seen before at any Norwegian airport. People already lined up actually took a step back. This really seems to work. I assume and I hope this is something they will implement at all gates, everywhere so that Plus passengers finally can get a chance to secure their well-deserved overhead space.
The voice was pre-recorded and continued playing while the gate agent started boarding passengers.
Thumbs up SAS!
May 2, 2014, 11:08 am
#4
Join Date: Mar 2014
Location: Norway
Programs: SK Diamond
Posts: 219
I was travelling a small segmentrun (really a run for the EB-challenge though) BGO-OSL-ARN-HEL-CPH-BGO yesterday, and OSL was the only airport which did not even attempt priority boarding.
That being said, the message sounds quite like the one I heard at BGO when boarding the plane to OSL. I often fly out from BGO both domestic and international (as it's close to where I live), but I have never seen any priority boarding from SAS here earlier.
That being said, the message sounds quite like the one I heard at BGO when boarding the plane to OSL. I often fly out from BGO both domestic and international (as it's close to where I live), but I have never seen any priority boarding from SAS here earlier.
May 2, 2014, 11:21 am
#5
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: IE / PL
Programs: TK*G (E+)
Posts: 140
This week I noticed a new and automated boarding announcement. They actually announced something like: "Welcome to SKxxx. We ask all our passengers holding a SAS Gold or Diamond card or Star Alliance Gold card or travelling with us in SAS Plus to please step forward in the line."
That was it and the gate agent started boarding. Nothing more. What happened was something that I have never seen before at any Norwegian airport. People already lined up actually took a step back. This really seems to work. I assume and I hope this is something they will implement at all gates, everywhere so that Plus passengers finally can get a chance to secure their well-deserved overhead space.
The voice was pre-recorded and continued playing while the gate agent started boarding passengers.
Thumbs up SAS!
That was it and the gate agent started boarding. Nothing more. What happened was something that I have never seen before at any Norwegian airport. People already lined up actually took a step back. This really seems to work. I assume and I hope this is something they will implement at all gates, everywhere so that Plus passengers finally can get a chance to secure their well-deserved overhead space.
The voice was pre-recorded and continued playing while the gate agent started boarding passengers.
Thumbs up SAS!
Same in Dublin, 27th April.
May 2, 2014, 4:55 pm
#6
Join Date: Jul 2005
Location: OSL
Programs: SK-EBD/*A Gold, BA Gold/OW Emerald, HH Gold, ChoiceHotels Gold, Hertz Presidents Circle, Sixt Plat,
Posts: 117
We flew osl-arn-nce in Plus two days ago. Boarding for all flights were announced according to priority and thus carried out. Excellent by SAS.
May 5, 2014, 3:25 pm
#7
Join Date: Nov 2010
Programs: SK EB Gold *G, LH M&M FT *S, LeClubAccor Gold, Hertz #1 Gold
Posts: 25
As far as I remember, I always heard this kind of announcement in CPH and CDG. But they were bad of putting it into action. A bunch of people who already stand in the line still allowed to board regardless of their class/status. The boarding agent only has 1 line. It is quite different with what AF/KL did (where their agent usually has dedicated line for business/sky elite passengers and he/she is very strict to allow priority passengers board).
May 6, 2014, 7:08 am
#8
Join Date: Feb 2013
Location: OSL
Programs: SK Diamond, LH SEN, KL Ivory, AY Basic, OZ silver
Posts: 1,103
My experience: OSL usually has the Norwegian SK mentality, which is that passengers are annoying and obstructing SK-employees in doing their work. That's also why they never respect gold cards on overbooking upgrades, waiting lists, priority luggage, soft seat blocking or even having a lounge dragon to separate *G from C-pax. LH actually has a neat solution for priority boarding in place in OSL now (or... has had for a few months, haven't been on board there for weeks now). One side of the gate counter block is the priority side, the other one is for regular Y-pax. It works great.
That they actually start playing the standard priority tune now in OSL is a first small step in the right direction, that they do this consequently and actually keep to their own message would be a next big step. It is one of the small things that SK can do that doesn't cost anything but significantly enhances the product. I still have the feeling that SK's product can be so much better with so little effort. This is one example.
Anyway, thumbs up for SK for giving it a try!
